The advantages of hairy legs

Nuku Hiva has a population of 2,800 souls and a population of 2.8 trillion mustiques or mosquitos. These later love the soft smooth skin of fair haired Irish folk but they avoid the hairy bits. This fact is borne out by poor Mrs Poodle. She is destroyed. On our trip into the jungle yesterday we visited an ancient site where human sacrifice was performed. Some atavistic memories have transferred to the mosquito population who remembered all when they saw Georgina. As I write her legs are like the surface of a very red moon. We counted roughly 50 bites on one of my legs but not where the hair grows and not inflamed like Mrs P.

Camille has not fared much better, although she avoided the sacred site, she declares that she does not want to live in the tropics. This all goes to prove the wisdom of the Irish proverb; 'there's a pike in every pool. '

I must quote the official view of things for Polynesie Francaise: 'No snakes, poisonous spiders or fearsome animals frequent these islands'.

Our best friend has become the little lizzard who lives in our rooms, the Gekko. Two reasons: he eats mosquitos and he makes the most delightful 'tut tut tut tut' noises like a scolding granny.

Forza Gekko!